In today’s busy world everyone will have the ambition to be more active, but many things get in the way. How many time have you said or heard – its too wet, its too late, I am too busy, I don’t have time, too tired, too hungry…….
We will always find reasons to put things off but equally when we make an effort and get out, then we come back feeling encouraged, inspired and again saying I must get out more. This challenge of getting out is multiplied when it is not just yourself but your family or friends.
It needs a very positive mindset to get you out, and there needs to be a motivation which is often feeling overweight or simply unfit. We discussed in podcast episode 3, and we looked at the challenge of 1 in 5 children being overweight. Statistics based on your Body Mass Index (BMI) is used, and Jon and I consider this index as one which often is not fully realistic to indicate peoples activity levels. John and I did our own measurement and using the BMI formula:
BMI = Weight (KG) / Height (m2)
The result was that Jon stats was 23.6, and I was 24.6 (my weight 78kg, Height 1.77m). The BMI statistical bands used for the results are:
Healthy weight: 18 – 25
Overweight: 25-30
Obese: over 30
Both Jon and I are active and do not carry any extra weight, I am sure I can lose a few kgs but generally in good shape. If I look at my BMI, I am on the border of being the statistics as being overweight! So we need to look at other measures to understand how active we are and how we can improve. We are researching and creating a representative metric to let us gauge and measure activity alongside BMI. More on this in later blogs and podcasts.
Jon and I on our last podcast gave six tips from our experience to try and get you and your family more active. I summary these were:
- Find a sport or activity your children enjoy doing, do not force or push something you think if they are not onside with it.
- Walk when you can – leave the car when going to local shop or errand. If you are walking, let your children cycle or scoot as walking is probably low down on their list
- Use carrot and not stick – think of good rewards to get someone to get to the top of the hill or longer cycle. This could be more time on their favourite game, watch a film later etc.
- Do the activity with them – essential to doing the activity together. We often send our children swimming or out to the park, but if you do it together, you will get positive motivation.
- Make it fun – the key thing is around making the walk or cycle fun. Gamify the walk or cycle, add challenges, take a ball.
- Say yes – often in our busy life we do prioritise time to do something if your children say can we go to the park, climb a tree, swim in the river. Say yes and often our response sorry I do not have time.
Time is one thing I want to finish my rambling with – we all never have enough time, but it is the one thing and the only thing we can control. We need to make time for activity and to get outside. Let’s all try and make time to motivate and encourage everyone to be more active in the outdoors.
